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FIRST UP FOR DEFAZIO: Incoming House Transportation Chairman Peter DeFazio is making plans to “drag” in DOT officials to testify about their slow-walking of transit grants — part of his top oversight priority next year, he told our Tanya Snyder. “Somehow DOT has constructed an unbelievably torturous new process for approving already-funded and -authorized transit projects, and they've clogged up the pipeline unbelievably,” the Oregon Democrat said. In the televised interview on C-SPAN's "Newsmakers," DeFazio indicated he doesn’t plan to smooth out his rough edges as chairman, calling Larry Summers a “jerk” and referring to “some idiot” at DOT. But he stood by his promise to work with President Donald Trump on infrastructure.

Climate kerfuffle: DeFazio has been one of several Democratic committee leaders pushing back on the idea that the new majority should create a standalone climate panel, and questioning the aggressive tactics of some newly elected Democrats. But that doesn’t mean it’s not an issue he wants to tackle next year, as it relates to transportation policy. He told MT on Friday: “When you look at how much carbon pollution there is due to congestion, wasted fuel, people sitting in traffic. It’s a major component of what we want to do in having more efficient movement of people and goods and more transit options for people.” DeFazio said while the issue is not his primary focus or jurisdiction, “we will be addressing components of contributions to climate change.”

IT’S MONDAY: Thanks for tuning in to POLITICO’s Morning Transportation, your daily tipsheet on all things trains, planes, automobiles and ports. Welcome to a shortened week, which will see millions of Americans take some form of transportation to get together with their loved ones and stuff themselves. Get in touch with feedback, tips or song lyric suggestions at smintz@politico.com or @samjmintz.

LISTEN HERE: Follow MT’s playlist on Spotify. What better way to start your day than with songs (picked by us and readers) about roads, rails, rivers and runways?

NELSON GOES DOWN: Commerce Committee ranking member Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) conceded to Republican Gov. Rick Scott Sunday, ending a bitter election which came down to a hand recount. The latest vote tallies had the Democrat down just 10,000 votes. Nelson's defeat could set off a scramble among Democrats, as it opens up their top spot on Commerce. There have been suggestions that current Energy Committee ranking member Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), who would be first in line for the Commerce position, might make the switch. If she doesn't, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) has the next shot.

Infrastructure

VICTORY LAP: A Friday morning meeting co-hosted by DeFazio and fellow infrastructure-happy Oregon Democrat Earl Blumenauer, billed as a “post-election wrap / new congress infrastructure agenda setting” gathering, generated “lots of enthusiasm and energy” from the standing-room-only crowd, according to one person who was present at the meeting. The lawmakers said they planned to hold hearings to gather ideas and recommendations to solve the country’s greatest infrastructure needs. Blumenauer, who serves on Ways and Means and is plotting to establish an infrastructure subcommittee, noted that the Republicans on that committee held only one hearing on transportation funding and finance in the eight years they were in charge.

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IT’S INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK: OK, not this week, but the official 2019 Infrastructure Week put on by the organization of the same name is scheduled for May 13-20. “We're already hearing the 'I' word as an opportunity for collaboration between houses in Congress and with the Administration. But progress requires that we continue to educate voters and policymakers about what infrastructure we need, what we've already accomplished, and what's at stake,” wrote the coalition behind the event, which is led by groups including the Chamber of Commerce, the American Society of Civil Engineers and Building America’s Future.

PLENTY ON DOT’S PLATE: The agency's inspector general took a look at the biggest management challenges for next year in a new report — and it's not a short list. Among the areas the IG highlighted are the integration of drones, railroads implementation of positive train control, the use of limited infrastructure dollars, and management of vehicle recalls. Most of the challenges listed aren’t new, and most aren’t going away any time soon. Read the full report here.

MCCARTHY’S BUS BUST-UP: House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy got involved in negotiations on the Transportation-HUD spending bills to protect an electric bus manufacturer in his district from a provision that would restrict funding because it’s backed by the Chinese government, according to Bloomberg Government. The company, Build Your Dreams, is the only bus company that would be covered by the ban, which is the result of “a lobbying effort to protect the domestic freight rail industry from Chinese incursions,” Shaun Courtney writes. McCarthy has proposed language to exempt buses, which would allow BYD to earn future contracts with U.S. transit agencies, but he's set up a potential fight with senior Republican lawmakers in both chambers.

Rail

ON TRACK: Amtrak set revenue and earnings records for fiscal 2018, the company announced Friday — 31.7 million riders took trips on Amtrak, which it said was steady. Operating earnings were $193.7 million and total revenue was $3.38 billion. While the Northeast Regional and state-supported lines grew in ridership, long distance service was down nearly 4 percent due to a combination of factors. “We remain on track to cover total operating costs from ticket and other revenues in the next few years, which will allow us to focus funding on business improvements and expansion,” said board chairman Tony Coscia.

VIRGIN TRAINS EN ROUTE TO US: The only private intercity passenger rail line in the U.S. is getting an influx of cash and a new name. Brightline, which started service in Florida between Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach in May, is partnering with Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, the Miami Herald reports. The company will rename itself Virgin Trains USA, and plans to expand in Florida as well as creating a rail system between Las Vegas and Southern California.

Aviation

PUSHING A TIFIA BOOST FOR AIRPORTS: Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.) introduced a bill Friday to expand TIFIA loans to state and local airport projects. Specifically, the legislation would create a $10 million credit subsidy through TIFIA. The two had previously included an amendment in the FAA reauthorization, which required DOT to report to Congress on whether the program’s low-cost financing mechanism could benefit airports. “By increasing access to capital financing, airports will be able to modernize passenger terminals, update runways, and complete important infrastructure projects quicker and more efficiently,” Perdue said in a statement.

Shifting Gears

Dorenda Baker, who has been executive director of FAA’s aircraft certification service for almost a decade, will retire at month’s end. Our Brianna Gurciullo has more for Pros.

— "Can you fit in this bathroom? Passengers are growing but airplane bathrooms are shrinking." The Washington Post.

THE COUNTDOWN

DOT appropriations run out in 19 days. The FAA reauthorization expires in 1,776 days. Highway and transit policy is up for renewal in 682 days.

** A message from PlanetM – Michigan, where big ideas in mobility are born: Self-driving cars are just the start of the mobility revolution. Everything from transportation to jobs to quality of life for the elderly will be affected. And Michigan is leading the charge for the future of mobility. That’s because Michigan has the resources, progressive legislation and infrastructure that enable mobility companies to thrive. 22 venture capital firms and eight angel groups are active in the mobility space in Michigan while another 46 provide entrepreneurial support. Learn more about the reasons to invest in Michigan at PlanetM.com. **

About The Author

Sam is a Transportation reporter for POLITICO Pro and the author of Morning Transportation. He worked previously at E&E News, where he covered energy policy at federal agencies and in Congress. Before that he was at the Cape Cod Times in Southeastern Massachusetts, where he reported on local government, politics and crime. He grew up in Boston, and studied political science and journalism at Brandeis University, but has grown to love living in Washington, D.C. despite the disappointing lack of snow.